Gingerbread and All Those Trends
by I'll Break Your Heart
Summary: Shiki could be a disaster in the kitchen. She could easily mess up something by accident. So...how did she end up making gingerbread with Neku on Christmas Eve again? NekuxShiki. ONESHOT


**I like cooking, I like TWEWY. Might as well put them together.**

Baking, or really cooking in general, wasn't Shiki's strong point. As talented as she was with a needle and thread, she could be an utter failure in the kitchen. So far, her greatest achievement in the kitchen was a sloppily made onigiri.

"Pass the egg."

"R-right!"

She picked up the egg, fumbled with it, almost dropped it, caught it again and passed it to Neku. She breathed a sigh of relief. Neku watched, but said nothing. Cracking the egg into the bowl, he discarded the shell before returning to the cookbook placed in front of him.

"Now I need you to pass the oil."

"R-right!"

Neku on the other hand was pretty good at baking…. and cooking. At first she had been skeptic, but after trying some of his baked goods, she had practically begged him to teach her. That was why she was at his house, on Christmas Eve with an apron tied around her waist. The apron being her idea because…why not?

"Shiki, the oil please."

"Sorry, right away!"

She grabbed the oil, almost dropping it because of how slippery it was, and passed it to Neku. With another silent nod, he began to measure it out.

This was how they had been operating ever since they began, Neku asking for ingredients and Shiki clumsily passing it to him. She wasn't usually clumsy, but maybe it was the fact that she was baking worried her. Well, almost baking. Helping actually. In fact maybe it wasn't baking at all that was making her flustered, she thought as she stole a glance at Neku. He was plugging in the electric mixer and was slowly mixing all the ingredients together.

"Is there anything else I can do?" Shiki asked.

He looked up at her and gave her a small smile. "Why don't you try this?" He said, passing her the mixer. "Just make sure it stays in the batter."

Shiki nodded. The hum of the mixer soon replaced what little conversation had been there.

She had read from a blog that gingerbread was the rage for the holidays. So, ignoring the fact that she could be terrible in the kitchen went out and bought all the necessary ingredients.

"Ok, Shiki I think that's enough. Shiki? Shiki? Shiki!"

"Wh-what?!"

By accident, she lifted the mixer out of the bowl. Batter splattered everywhere, hitting the walls and the two teenagers. Neku ducked and quickly pulled the plug out. The mixer shut off, but the damage was already done.

"Damn." Neku cursed a little as he looked around. Batter covered the walls and some even managed to get in his hair.

"Sorry! Sorry! I'm so sorry!" Shiki practically yelled. Neku sighed.

"I thought I told you to keep the mixer in the bowl."

"I…. I forgot."

Another sigh, then small laughter. Shiki looked up.

"What?"

"No it's just," another chuckle, "You have batter on your nose."

Shiki gasped and quickly wiped it off. A small blush on her cheeks she asked,

"Shouldn't we put the batter in the oven?"

"Yeah."

With the batter poured into the cake mold, and finally placed in the oven, the two began to clean up the wreckage from the mixer.

Shiki had bumped into Neku on the way back to her house. When he asked about the grocery bag she had been holding, she had told him the gingerbread was now a "trend," and that she was going to try it out for herself.

_"But you're not good at baking."_

_"How rude Neku! I can be good at baking!"_

_"You almost burned the house down when you forgot that toast in the oven."_

_"No I didn't!"_

_"It filled your house up with smoke."_

_"Well, I only forgot about because you wanted to play Tin Pin!"_

_"Look I just wanted to…Fine, I'm not going to be able to talk you out of this am I?"_

_"Nope!"_

_"Then…. come over to my house tomorrow and I'll help you."_

_"Wh-what?"_

_"You said you wanted me to teach you right? So just come over tomorrow."_

_"But tomorrow's Christmas Eve!"_

_"Yeah so?"_

_"Just… don't you want to be doing something else besides baking?"_

_"Actually…baking sounds fine."_

Luckily, the batter had come out easily. But the batter that had landed on the two teens was harder to rub off. Shiki had been protected because of her apron but Neku….

"You're going to need a new shirt." Shiki mused, frowning at the batter stains that were visible on the cloth.

Neku waved his hand passively. "No it's fine."

"No it's not! Just go and change your shirt!"

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes it does! Stains drive me crazy just like-"

"Loose buttons?"

No answer from Shiki. Neku sighed again.

"Fine, I'll be right back."

With that he walked down the hallway, mumbling something about it just being a shirt.

Shiki smiled. He could be stubborn, but so could she. She glanced at the baking timer before sighing again. She had forgotten how boring the waiting portion of baking could be. Forty-five minutes for just one loaf of bread? She leaned against the cool counter, her eyes closed.

"I'm back."

Shiki opened her eyes. She blinked.

"What is-?"

Neku dropped what he had been holding. The bag that had been in front of Shiki's face when she had opened her eyes fell. She reacted quickly and caught it.

"Neku what-?"

"Just open it."

She reached into the bag and pulled out a small box. Glancing at Neku, who was staring stone faced ahead of him, she couldn't help but smile.

"It this a Christmas present?"

Judging by the blush on his cheeks, she could only assume it was. Her smile widened.

"Can I open it?"

From the small noise Neku made, Shiki assumed she could. She opened the box.

Neku closed his eyes. A panic feeling flew through him as Shiki said nothing. She didn't like it, did she? What was he thinking getting-?

"Oh Neku."

He turned his head. Relief rushed through him as she tackled him into a hug.

"I love it! I love it! I love it!"

They stayed like that for a little while before Shiki pulled back.

"Can you put it on me?"

"Can't you do it yourself?"

"It'll be easier if you just do it."

"…Fine."

She turned, handing him the gift. He gently clasped it around her neck, his hand brushing her skin. He pulled back.

"How does it look?" Shiki asked smiling. The small heart pendent twinkled from around her neck.

"It looks good- I mean, it looks beautiful."

A look of surprise passed by Shiki face, but was replaced by her smile again.

"Thank you Neku." She said, planting a kiss on his cheek. She pulled back, still smiling as the blush covered Neku's face.

Yes, baking wasn't her strong point. But she would rather have a disaster in the kitchen than have the holiday away from Neku.

**I made gingerbread today and got inspired to write this! Yay TWEWY!**

**Onigiri: Basically a rice ball**

**Chu: Go find out you romantics~**

Small Omake

"Not bad."

"What are you talking about? It's delicious!"

"You say everything is delicious."

"I do not! That shadow ramen I didn't like."

"Yeah well…. yeah."

"…"

"…"

"Neku?"

"Hm?"

…._chu_…

**Review~**


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